Greetings Wildcat Parents,

We hope that you had a wonderful break and had the opportunity to hear about all the wonderful things your child has been learning in school. In conversing with the students it is very exciting to share in their enjoyment of connecting the focus standards to real-world activities. From using functional text to make tasty treats to building rockets, it is through these vicarious experiences that promote an extended understanding of the content while making learning fun.

Parents, as you are aware attendance plays a very critical role in how well our students perform academically. Research shows that attendance is a key factor of how well students perform in school. Therefore, it is imperative that the students are present and on time each day in order to take part in the rigorous lessons and learning activities that have been planned in order to prepare them for the next school year. If your child is out please send in a note the following day. Also, if your child eats breakfast at school, please be advised that they must arrive to the cafeteria by 7:35 to allow them time to eat and report to class by 7:45.

As a reminder, our students in grades 3rd-5th will be taking the Georgia Milestone assessment during the month of April. Our teachers have been working very hard to ensure that they are readily prepared for this end of year assessment. You can also assist by providing extended opportunities for your child to demonstrate their understanding of concepts through writing: justifying their answers to presented math problems and responding to open-ended comprehension questions after reading. Additional strategies have also been included on the school’s website under the Instructional Teachers’ link (reading & math).

To extend the amount of support in preparing our students for the Georgia Milestone, we will be offering Saturday school during the month of March. Students in grades 3rd-5th will work closely with certified teachers in which to review previous taught concepts in order to develop an extended understanding of the concept. If you would like for your child to participate in the program, please contact Mr. Brown the school counselor at 770-957-5416.

Finally, I would like to take the time to thank you for your support in encouraging the students to meet their Wildcat Fest goal. Those that attended worked very hard in demonstrating positive behavior both at school and on the bus, completing all assignments and being present at school. It was very exciting to see the large amount of cowgirls and cowboys that were able to attend this exciting event. We are looking forward to 100% attendance at the final fest in May. As always, thank you for your dedication and support.

Educationally yours,

Dr. Scott

Kindergarten is an exciting place. We are learning and growing every day.

We are learning about long vowel sounds and how to decode unknown

words. Please encourage your child to show you their strategies when

reading.

In math, we are focusing on addition and subtraction. It is our goal to

have all students fluent with their math facts up to 5 and be able to solve

addition and subtraction sentences up to 10 using strategies (counting

on, counting back, using drawings, etc.).

We are also learning about American Symbols. The students can share

some interesting facts about the Statue of Liberty, the White House, the

bald eagle, and more.

We are working really hard to get ready for first grade. In order for us to

reach our goal, please help your child work on sight words nightly, read

nightly, and ask about what they are learning in class. If you have any

concerns, please let your teacher know. We will be having Student Led

Conferences soon to go over your child’s progress as well. Thank you for

all you do!

In second grade we are busy, busy, and busy in all subjects! In writing we are still working on narratives. We are currently writing a narrative about our day with either Martin Luther King, Jr. or Jackie Robinson. The students are doing well and really enjoying it.

In Social Studies we just finished a unit on historical figures and we are now beginning to talk about the government, rules, laws and elected officials and their roles.

We are moving through telling time in 5 minute intervals and counting money. Some students are already working on telling time to the minute! We’ve also continued to work on word problems and being precise in showing our answers as well as constructing viable arguments to support our points in all subjects, NOT just in Math. Keep playing first in math. The second grade classes are competing weekly for the First in Math trophy.

Our reading levels are growing every day. We are focusing more on comprehension and being able to answer higher order questions. In AR each child has a 9 week goal. They are working daily to meet those goals. Some students are surpassing their goals. All students who meet their goals by the end of the 9 weeks will get to attend the AR party to celebrate their successes in reading. Our second Wildcat Fest was February, 12, 2016. It sure was a rootin’ tootin’ good time

It’s hard to believe that January went by so quickly! We are going to spend February meeting various standards through rigorous activities in every subject!

The students will continue solving real-world problems that involve finding the area and perimeter of different shapes. The students will also compare and contrast different quadrilaterals according to their attributes.

Third grade students have also been writing Narrative Pieces. These pieces include the use of strong adjectives and verbs. These pieces also include dialogue, in which character’s actions, thoughts, and feelings are described. They also develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.

The students will conclude a unit on Pollution. They will participate in real-world situations that demonstrate the effects of Pollution on the environment. Next, we will begin a unit on Rocks and Minerals.

Please make sure your child is completing activities on First In Math, math homework, as well as reading at least 15 minutes every night!

As we write this, there are approximately four months of school left! Where did

the time go? Even though time is flying, we are getting a lot accomplished!

Students have spent the past few months learning how to add, subtract,

represent, and multiply fractions. In the past week, we started drawing and

identifying decimals to the tenths and hundredths place. We are very grateful and

proud to have such a competent math group. The students often tell us, “Help

me, but DON’T tell me the answer!” They are determined to figure out the

problems on their own.

The students have loved learning about the American Revolution! They know all

about the Redcoats, King George III, and the George Washington. Ask them to

show you the video “It’s too late to apologize” (based on the American

Revolution); they can explain the meaning behind it! We dove into poetry and

drama in reading. We have some amazing poets and actors in the grade; they love

any chance to get in front of the class.

We have NOT sent anything home yet, however the field trip will be to Rock Ranch

in the spring. More info will be coming on this! As always, thank you for your

continued support, encouragement, and involvement!

We could use a refill of sanitizer, tissues, and pencils! Thank you!

5th graders are rolling right along and working hard. We are all very excited about our upcoming trip to Rock Eagle! We leave Wednesday, March 2, and return on Friday, March 4. Remember, we need the trip to be paid in full by Monday, February 29.

In Reading we have been working on making inferences with fiction text, theme, point of view and plot summaries. We will diving back into non-fiction, as well during writing we have been writing narratives from different points of view. We will have a mock writing test coming up the week of February 29, before we go to Rock Eagle.

In Math, we have been adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions. We will be working on Geometry when we come back from February break.

During Social Studies we have covered World War I, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II.

Finally, during Science we will be studying Earth Science, investigating constructive and destructive forces.

The Georgia Milestones is fast-approaching. Watch for a paper coming home with

your child’s log-in information for Gofar. This is a testing practice site that your

child can get on and take practice tests to prepare for the

Georgia Milestone.

Monthly Math Minutes -

GA Milestones is approaching quickly for our students in 3rd – 5th grade. Have you

been to one of our GA Milestones Parent Sessions? If you couldn’t make it to the

January or February Title night and still want to learn about it, please do not

hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Rainer or Mrs. Hall. In addition to the trainings, you

can also find information about the GA Milestones on Mrs. Hall’s webpage:

http://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/domain/3791 or find “Math Coach” under the

Academics tab on the LGE webpage.

Continue to work with First in Math at home. Thank you to our PTO for providing

trophies to the Team of the Week for First in Math. The trophies have helped to

ignite competition between the homerooms.

Also, talk math and numbers with your student every day. How much rain fell

today? Is that over an inch or less than an inch? How many degrees did the

temperature drop between yesterday and today? There are so many questions

you can ask or better yet, allow your child to ask questions!

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Until next month,

Mrs. Hall, Math Instructional Lead Teacher

In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America Day on March 2, Locust Grove Elementary will be celebrating with theme dress-up days and special activities to encourage reading throughout the week. • Monday, February 29 – “The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins”A sombrero, baseball cap, or even a beret…It’s “Wear any kind of Hat” Day!• Tuesday, March 1 – “Fox in Socks”Multicolored socks, one red and one blue…any CRAZY SOCKS will do!• Wednesday, March 2 – “Wacky Wednesday”Inside out, mismatched, or backwards….anything goes on Wacky Wednesday!• Thursday, March 3 – “Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book”For a sleepover, slumber party, or going to bed…come to school in your pajamas instead!• Friday, March 4 – Character/Vocabulary Dress-Up Day

Students are encouraged to participate by dressing up as a character from their favorite book in grades K-2. Our students in third through fifth grade will be selecting an advanced vocabulary word which will become their costume. From A to Z, consider the entire dictionary your playground. Students will be asked for their selected word, a definition, a sketch of their costume. Students will be responsible for costume design at home. They will not be given class time to work on or create costumes. Various examples

of costumes and pictures can be found online. There are also a few examples on Mrs. Rainer’s webpage on the LGE website.

The Science Lab is in full swing. Students have enjoyed learning about animal needs, animal groups, characteristics of light, the night sky, constructive and destructive forces of the Earth, and rocks and minerals. Classes have been earning rewards, such as film canister rockets and making slime. The lab needs donations of several items in order to continue our fun scientific learning experiences. Please send donations of the following items:• straws• plastic cups• plastic zipper bags• food coloring• paper plates• film canisters • bottles of glue• pencils• reams of copy paper

Don't forget that the school "Science Fair" is open to all students. Please check the school website for more information.

LGE’s Afterschool Program is “SUPER”! That’s right…we have a SUPER Staff, lots of SUPER Activities and the kids say it’s… SUPER FUN! WELCOME to our new and returning ASEP families. Our largest group is our 3-5th grade group with almost 30 students! Not far behind is our K-2nd group with almost 20! Ms. Loretta, Ms. Bethany, Ms. Donna, Ms. Ciera, Ms. Lindsay and Ms. CeCe have been working hard to make sure our kids stay engaged and entertained. Afterschool is a special place at LGE and we are excited to see what the year holds!

WISH LIST: Our students read every day and our books have had a good life but are showing their age. We would love to refresh our book library. Please consider donating your gently used (or new) books to the LGE ASEP Library. We can use books on any level, but prefer no “board” books. REMINDERS: • Anyone picking up a student from ASEP should be ready to show identification. Sometimes we have instructors cover the office and they are required to ask for I.D. Please understand that this is for the safety and security of our students. We appreciate your patience and understanding. • PLEASE be sure we have current contact info, including names of authorized people who can pick up your child on file. • Tuition is $50 per week (5 days). We operate every day that school is in session. • You can pay online at myschoolbucks.com (small service charge applies).• Our program runs from 2:30 pm until 6:00 pm. After 6:00pm there is a $1.00 per minute late charge. • Currently we do not offer “Drop In” service.

ASEP INFO: LGE’s After School program is offered through Henry County Schools and gives families/students the opportunity for after school care and the students don’t have to leave the building. We are here every day that school is in from 2:30pm-6:00pm. Students have a nutritious snack, complete homework, and have at least 2 enrichment classes per day, as well as gym and/or recess time depending on the weather. Cost of the program is $50 per week, per student. If you are looking for reasonable and fun after school care, with qualified professionals, contact Mr. Lavon Brown @ (770) 957-5416 or Lavon.Brown@henry.k12.ga.us for more information.

LGE Jr Beta News,

On Wednesday, February 3rd, our Locust Grove Elementary Jr Beta Club held its induction

ceremony! All 14 Jr Beta Club members had speaking parts during the ceremony, and all did quite

well! Amber Watts, our Jr Beta President began our event with poise. Bryce Williams provided a

poetic Inspiration about self-fulfilling prophecy and attitude towards ones goals. A couple of our

members have the number 1 fear of people, speaking in front of an audience, but this was overcome

for our ceremony!

Our guest speaker was last year’s LGE Jr Beta Club President, Aydan Smith, who was brought here

in between Lion King rehearsal and performance! (Thanks Aydan!)

After the candle lighting portion of our ceremony, Mrs. Pace and Mrs. Carmichael, as well as Mr.

Schwartz, had some closing remarks about our Jr Beta members’ positive future opportunities as a

result of being in Jr Beta Club. Congratulations LGE Jr Beta Club members! We can’t wait to her

about your continued success at Locust Grove Middle School next year!

Genius: 40

On Wednesday, January 27th, 4 of our “Genius: 40” members had

LGE clubs begin! With support from Coach Smith, Mrs. Tolbert, and

Ms. Davis, as well as Dr. Scott and Mrs. Carmichael, LGE’s Elite

Speed Track Club, founded by Jayden Hollis, LGE’s Drama Club,

founded by Phoebe Duncan, and LGE’s Art Club, founded by

Kaylee Currul and Taniya Diaz began smoothly!

Title I provides federal funding to schools that have high poverty levels. The funding is meant to help students who are at risk of falling behind academically. The funding provides supplemental instruction for students who are economically disadvantaged or at risk for failing to meet state standards.

The Title I program originated as the Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965. Its primary purpose was to ensure that all children were given the opportunity to be provided with a high quality education. Title I is the largest federally funded education program for elementary and secondary schools. Title I is also designed to focus on special needs populations and to reduce the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students.

States that have Title I schools have several requirements to keep the funding. Schools must have a child poverty rate of at least 40% to operate a school wide Title I program. A school wide Title I program can provide benefits to all students and is not just limited to those students who are considered to be economically disadvantaged.

LGE TITLE I FAST FACTS: Locust Grove Elementary is a School-wide Title I School ALL LGE Teachers and Paraprofessionals are Highly Qualified Parents/Guardians may ask for teacher/staff qualifications at any time LGE has no designation from the state Schools can be labeled as Focus, Priority, Reward All families were invited to participate in the Family Input Team meeting where we discussed,

received input, reviewed and revised our Parent Involvement Plan and School Compact for Student Success for 2015-16.

Title I Funding provides: Math & Literacy Coach (Ms. Hall and Ms. Rainer) Parent Liaison (Ms. Kim) Family Resource Room (Room #1) Technology and Resources Additional Teacher Training Parent Engagement Budget 1% (Approx. $3000) Academic resources in Math, Literacy & Science to be used at home to support student success. Family Nights / Academic workshops to provide families with understanding of math, literacy and

science standards so they can help children at home.

My Name is Kimberli Stone and I am the Parent Liaison for Locust Grove Elementary. As a Parent Liaison my goal is to keep parents/guardians informed of school activities and volunteer opportunities. I also operate the Parent Resource Room located in Room 1 directly across from the main office.The Parent Resource Room was allocated by Title I to provide free academic resources to the parents to help assist students at home. Everything in the Resource Room is FREE to check out with no time limit! The Room has activities that are also used in the classroom and games to help with family bonding while building academic skills. There is a wide arrangement of Parent Power books that are available for checkout.

The Parent Resource Room is open from 7:45 AM – 3:00 PM. If these times are not convenient for you, please give me a call and we can schedule an appointment.

I am very excited to be here at Locust Grove Elementary and eager to help our parents help our students! If you have any questions and/or concerns, please contact me by e-mail at Kimberli.Stone@henry.k12.ga.us or 770-957-5416.

I look forward to serving you!!Kimberli StoneLocust Grove Parent Liaison

We are proud to have community partners that support our school and more importantly our student’s success! If you are interested in becoming a Partner in Ed, Please contact Ms. Kim Stone or Mr. Brown for more details on partnership!

Feb 4, 2016 – Georgia Milestone Test Prep and ESPLOST Parent Night 6:00 PM

Feb 11, 2016 – Parent University Georgia Milestone Boot Camp Title I Resource

Center McDonough, GA 6:00 PM Limited Seating, Please RSVP with Ms. Kim.

Feb 12, 2016 – Wildcat Fest Celebration held during school hours

Feb 29th – March 4th – Read Across America – Dr. Seuss Celebration a week of literacy

activities with a Parade on March 4th, time to be determined.

March 4, 2016 - Student Council & Jr. Beta Club will be having a Social from 3-5 PM in

the gym. This is a fundraiser for Muscular Dystrophy. Admission is $5 (at the door).

Refreshments will be sold for $1. Permission slips will go out after Winter Break.